I know this winter I am going to take a stab at a short stay aboard. Because work all but dries up for me in winter, I will be trailering my seasprite south to florida for a 6 weeks to 2 months of cruising.

if I am not completely crazy after spending that long on a 23 foot boat.. I should be good to go for a larger boat

Doug S makes a good point re boat size and yes bigger probably is better although the number of people you intend to have on board at any time must be a consideration. Our rules is half a dozen for a day sail and/or the same maximum for dinner. Four for the occasional over nighter but only two long term. More than that and we'd need more than 42'. To be honest the costs involved in running a 50'er puts that pretty much out of the question though money aside it would probably be much more boat than we'd ever need.

Brian, one point of course is that for you with family, size and storage capacity will be more of a problem squeezing everything in that it would be for a couple of old misanthropes like me and the Wombet. So we have space aplenty (not strictly true of course) on the Womboat while e.g TheTardis who appears to be a youngster can exist quite comfortably in 30'. I know that I could have existed quite happily on our old 34'er but for the two of us it was something of a squeeze, primarily lack of footsie room in the (very veed) v berth. Cramped head and galley were also an issue though not as much so. Also have to thoroughly agree with you that if non cruising liveaboard is where you are at then get a stinker and be done with it. Even I would go that route simply cos I love being on the water. The chance to go sailing is just a bonus.

To be clear ...

TheTardis - at my age anyone under the age of forty is a youngster, no offence intended.

All - we don't live aboard permanently. Try for three day weekends and a couple of longer stints during the years. Nonetheless the Womboat is pretty much set up for liveaboard and provided we were not still working then we could and would move aboard quite happily.

Oh yes .... fully enclosed or at least enclosable cockpit is for me non negotiable. I can cope with pretty much any on board drawback provided I can always get out into the cockpit. On the Womboat we have set her up so that even in driving rain when at anchor, we can still use the cockpit with the sides open. There is little worse than having a cockpit enclosure that lets in said driving rain in hot weather.

Finally ... if you cannot live aboard your boat at anchor then I'm thinking fail. Not that checking into a marina now and then is a bad thing but for me the idea of marina liveaboard dose not appeal.

1. If your boat isn't equipped and prepared to sail, there is no point living aboard an actual boat. Get a houseboat.

2. You should equip your liveaboard like it was your home. Do you like air conditioning a home? Some do, some don't.

3. The not too big, not too small discussion is good too. Again, do you need to sprawl out at home or are you comfortable in a studio apartment. Different strokes for different folks.

As far as maintenance goes, if I have to drop an unexpected few grand on the boat, I may be annoyed at the expense. However, I then immediately want to get out and see if it sails better. I've never replaced a driveway, roof, landscaping or furnace and given a damn about giving it a whirl.

If you are attracted to the life, try it and decide you don't like it; you failed to foresee the problems. Failure. Oh my god, FAILURE! kill yourself, you failed! Or is failure no longer accepted? Not PC to call it what it is. No more failing grades in school, everybody gets promoted.

I'm not into the whole PC thing. Neither am I into black or white thinking... which your original post and this follow-up seems to indicate. While I get that you perceive someone as a failure for going back to land (your prerogative), I was and am challenging your rather sweeping generalization that they are failures in all walks of life. Hence, when they return to land, they will fail there as well. But, hey, if it makes you feel better to believe that we live in a world where there are ONLY winners OR losers, by all means, have at it. *shrugs*

get what you want. try almost everything . many who do not continue find their dreams and their realities do not mesh well......
some tried with too much derelict in the boat.....
some donot realize it is not an easy life, altho is simple living.
if you really want to do this after living on wtf, go for it----hell, go fo rit anyway. see where you really are--many forget they have to bring themselves along with them when they seek new lifestyle, and it goes down hill after that....
i have lived on board everything--good bad and ugly since 1990.

i love it--i am cruising.
i liveaboard everywhere i am. anchored or in marina. only in marina for summers and furycames.(off season)

oh and i dont write blogs for the most part--i sail and live.

life so rocks. this life rocks even better than just living.....
just do not carry expectations of land living. it aint gonna happen. you must work harder for everything--which is good.

A hard shot of reality ... we sold the house in 93' and moved on to the boat we already owned. We owed nothing on the house and carefully tucked away the cash from the sale for the day when we could no longer live aboard.

2.5 years ago my wife became ill and just last month got to the point where she simply could not get on or off the boat. We just rented an apartment and the boat is up for sale. In the 2.5yrs of illness my income was cut by 2/3 as my time was taken up in various hospitals and taking care of my wife and we have spent over $150k in drugs with no end in sight. (don't believe everything you read about free Canadian health care).

The lesson ... plan accordingly. I thought we had another 15yrs on the boat.

Please don't respond with commiserations, I don't need pity. This is just a word to the wise about covering your bases.

Love this thread! Now, I'm going to say this up front, I'm a newbie. I purchased my boat 8 weeks ago. In that 8 weeks I spent 2 weekends sleeping on the boat, worked on the boat fixing things 4-5 times a week and have now been a full time live aboard for 1 week. It has been exactly what I had expected that it would be. I love it! I'm one of those that does have a full time job, doesn't make a ton of money and was realistic about how much care (work) would need to be given regularly. I'm the type of person that often takes things apart just to see how they work. Also, I can fix just about anything with a spoon and bread bag twisty (duct tape is an easy way out). Living on the boat has been perfect for me. Not to say that I haven't learned a few things, this is the funny part.

1. I have smacked my head on the boom at least 30 times and have the bloody scabs to prove it. (I just saw another boat had swung their boom all the way to port to keep it out of the way, brilliant!)
2. The fresh water will run out when you least expect it. For me it was during a shower and covered in soap. It was a good laugh when my neighbors watched me rinse off on the dock with a hose (feeling like an idiot!).
3. It's a long walk to the marina restroom, just to find it occupied after that bad burrito catches up with ya.

To me, and maybe my dizzy, bleeding head is in the clouds, but it's all about your attitude and determination. Like Bob says " Don't worry, about a thing, every little things gonna be alright".

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